The Riverside Ice Rink was so cold Saturday that Ryan Miller could see his breath. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald

Sabres want Alexander Sulzer to provide veteran stability

BUFFALO – As a 29-year-old veteran of 107 NHL games, defenseman Alexander Sulzer gives the struggling Sabres some much-needed stability, interim coach Ted Nolan said.

“We’re running around the defensive zone a little bit too much,” Nolan said Saturday after the Sabres prepared for this afternoon’s game against the Detroit Red Wings inside the First Niagara Center.

That’s why Nolan and Pat LaFontaine, the president of hockey operations, watched Sulzer play Friday in Rochester. The ... Read the full article

Pavel Datsyuk and the Detroit Red Wings will now be visiting Buffalo regularly. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald

NHLPA consents to realignment; Sabres in new division with Red Wings

BUFFALO – The NHL Players’ Association consented to the NHL’s realignment plan this afternoon, meaning the league will use a four-division format next season.

The Sabres will play in a new Eastern Conference division featuring four Northeast Division holdovers – the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs – and three newcomers – the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Western Conference transfer Detroit Red Wings – pending the approval of the ... Read the full article